Ford accused of patent infringement by Pennsylvania company

A Pennsylvania-based engineer is suing Ford, claiming that the automaker is infringing on a patent he holds and tried to license to the company several years ago.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, TMC Fuel Injection Systems claims that its President, Dr. Shou Hou, engaged in discussions with Ford representatives between 2004-2008 in regard to his “Returnless Multi-pressure-Level Fuel Injection,” but was told that the company was not interested in developing the technology. TMC now claims that something similar to it is being employed in an engine found in the F-150 pickup truck and other vehicles sold by Ford.

The system, outlined on TMC’s website, involves varying the pressure at which fuel is delivered to the cylinders to improve both power and fuel economy.

When contacted by FoxNews.com, Dr. Hou would not discuss the case and TMC's lawyer, Robert Sachs, could not be reached for comment.

Ford spokesman Todd Nissan told FoxNews.com “we haven’t had a chance to review the complaint, so we are not able to comment at this time.”